Squirrelly, that’s how Friday turned out to be in my garden. The sun was out and so were the squirrels. Even the tiny chipmunks have returned from their winter hibernation. These Townsend’s Chipmunks visit every spring. At first we only see the parents, and later […]
The northern, or as it used be called, the red-shafted flicker, is one of my very favorite fine feathered friends to visit the bird feeders in my garden. They are very shy and spooked by the slightest of sounds or movements. I love the dotted […]
Last night I spotted a deer from the kitchen window. I grabbed my camera and went outside to take a closer look. Once I got to the back fence I discovered that there were actually four black-tailed deer moving slowly through the forest. They were […]
Spring has sprung where I live! The garden is beginning to awake from hibernation. We’ve had some sunshine, some rain showers, and even a day of 72° sunshine! I stopped everything that afternoon and went outside to bask in the warmth of the sun. These […]
This week I spent some time birdwatching in my garden. I made a makeshift “bird blind” using an old blanket, a beach chair and an outdoor plant shelf to sit behind/underneath to observe and photograph our backyard visitors. Many birds aren’t all that shy if […]
Yesterday after filling up my bird feeders, I went back outside to see if any birds would come by. It didn’t take more than a few minutes before the regulars flocked in, bringing with them this bright yellow Townsend’s Warbler. It was such a treat […]
When I got up Thursday morning and opened the blinds I was greeted by a magical winter scene right outside my living room window. It had snowed again over night! After drinking my morning java, I quickly got ready to go out for a walk. […]
Just a few days ago I sat outside in the sun enjoying a cup of coffee while daydreaming about spring. It didn’t seem that far away…. …. until it started to snow! We got a nice dusting over the weekend, then several inches more last […]
It’s been a warmer than usual winter here in Portland without much weather other than the usual rain. During a rain break the other day I went outside and took a closer look at raindrops through the lens of my camera. As I am writing […]
Earlier this afternoon I got caught in the flightpath of a delightful flock of bushtits. Dozens of these tiny birds suddenly appeared on the suet feeders in my garden. They chattered, ate and didn’t seem to mind me standing just about a meter from the […]
The sun peeked out a little from behind the clouds reflecting the daffodils on the kitchen table’s surface. That led me to play around with some inexpensive cellphone clip-on lenses. And since I enjoy looking at things up close, I thought I would mix it […]
Boston Harbor shrouded in mist, early morning silence. Moored boats, sleepy town mirrored perfectly in The Sound. Before the noisy day begins. A couple of weeks ago we zipped up to Olympia, WA for a couple of days. Early Sunday morning we drove down a winding […]
My Friday today was a productive one. I ran some errands, got a couple of care packages ready to go to the post office and cleaned up a little . I also baked some delicious blueberry-corn muffins while listening to some of my favorite music. […]
There were a few families with younger kids strolling through the Oregon Garden on Christmas morning. I sure hope they were able to visit the Children’s Garden area while there. It’s a fun spot to check out. The butterfly bench, the hobbit hole, the giant […]
Imagine my surprise, when on Christmas morning I discovered The Secret Garden in a hidden corner of the Oregon Garden. When the trail forked, we stayed to the left. Just past a stand of cotton woods a heavy gate blocked the path. I peeked over […]
Christmas at the Oregon Garden was cold and foggy, it was icy at times, and then we got a perfect dusting of powdery snow on the morning of our departure. But before we drove off, I dashed out into the garden one last time to […]
After a bit too much holiday drama last year, the Zendog and I decided to do something different for Christmas this year. So we did! We headed to the Oregon Garden in Silverton. This charming small town is just about an hour southeast of Portland […]
Wishing you a magical and peaceful Christmas! Frohe Weihnachten, Sabine P.S. How do you say Merry Christmas in your language?
in cahoots with muddy boots 